With the last of the festive decorations boxed up for another year, it’s time to look forward. We give you 2024’s key trends in interior design
Choose rich, dark colours and antique furniture pieces if you want to channel the dark academia look in the bathroom
DARK ACADEMIA
Drawing inspiration from classic literature, this is a trend that incorporates rich, dark colours, antique furniture pieces, soft lighting, and preferably a collection of dusty antiquarian hardbacks to create spaces that are both sophisticated and atmospheric. Think moody maximalism with a Gothic twist. While the trend has been around for a few seasons, until now, it has been the domain of the living or dining room. Playfully, dark academia is now creeping into unexpected areas, such as the bathroom – where, of course, traditional claw-footed tubs match the aesthetic perfectly. Don’t be afraid to use darker colours here, or to bring in furniture pieces or décor that you’d normally find in the drawing room of a grand period property. And swap out your brightly coloured bathmat for a traditional Persian rug in rich tones of burgundy, black and navy blue.
Kit Kemp uses whimsical wallcoverings and folksy fabrics to creative effect. Embrace oversized floral motifs with Divine Savages’ Blooming Marvellous Coral Charm wallpaper
FOLKLORE
Characterised by heritage prints, whimsical woodland motifs and delicately embroidered soft furnishings, the folklore trend is all about creating cosy spaces to hunker down in. Celebrating time-honoured craftsmanship, folksy interiors hone in on the finer details, such as scalloped edging and decorative borders. The overall effect is quirky and creative, with eye-catching interest at every turn.
Although the folklore trend has much in common with maximalism, here, you’ll find a softer, organic colour palette and a more considered approach to craftsmanship and materials. Busy patterns and prints can be juxtaposed for effect – but it’s important to avoid grown up spaces looking like kids’ rooms. For a more sophisticated look, marry animalia with a bold contrasting stripe or geometric print. Painterly, nature-inspired murals and battered vintage furniture pieces work well together, while layering up embroidered cushions, bedspreads and throws is a must.
Embrace oversized floral motifs with Divine Savages’ Blooming Marvellous Coral Charm wallpaper
BURSTING BLOOMS
Think of florals and you picture ditsy wallpaper prints or chintzy curtains from the 1980s. Cut to 2024 and the bursting blooms trend gives us a refreshing take, essentially playing with scale. This one’s all about incorporating bold, oversized – and over the top – floral motifs into our living spaces, with vibrant pattern and shapes that successfully blur the lines between visual art and homeware.
Large-scale floral motifs find their natural home in wallcoverings, whether they’re part of a repeat pattern wallpaper or an expansive mural. For the full effect, choose designs with flowers in full bloom and go bold with maximum coverage, taking full advantage of a period property’s ceiling height if you have it. Contemporary carpet design is increasingly featuring scaled-up florals, too, whether they’re woven with realism in mind, or are a little more abstract. Choose accompanying furniture wisely – simple, mid-century pieces in walnut work particularly well against a background of bursting blooms.
This Ruggable X Jonathan Adler Ribbon Caramel Gold Rug takes its cues from Ancient Greece
KEY AND RIBBON MOTIFS
With design roots in ancient Greece, the Greek key pattern has never really gone out of style, but in 2024 it is set to see a resurgence. Synonymous with the Versace brand, both in fashion and homeware, it brings immediate luxe to our living spaces. Alongside these sharp geometrics is the more fluid ribbon motif, which sees looping patterns in strict symmetry across carpets, soft furnishings, and even furniture pieces. The beauty of this trend is its versatility. The Greek key and swirling ribbon motifs can be used in countless creative ways,
both large and small. Where less is sometimes more, you might find the key pattern used as a border across bedding, cushions and curtains. It also makes for a striking upholstery fabric – a chic black and white colourway can bring a contemporary update. Where there’s a surface there’s an opportunity to decorate it, and even in cabinet marquetry you’ll find intricate Greek key and ribbon motifs. The latter works best when in strict parallel lines.
The simple forms and organic tones used by Heathfield & Co in their lighting design epitomise quiet luxury
QUIET LUXURY
In the fashion world, this one’s about adopting a more subtle, understated and discreet form of luxury without the need for flashy branding or overt displays of wealth. In interiors, too, quiet luxury focuses on understated elegance and quality of craftsmanship, over and above any obvious riches. Think sophisticated, refined pieces that celebrate simple forms and honest materials. Thanks to their timelessness and longevity, these pieces also prove sustainable.
Allowing the quality and craftmanship of the product to speak for itself, the quiet luxury trend sees a stripping back of any fleeting fashion and focuses instead on enduring style. The use of premium but often understated materials is a hallmark, as is attention to detail and fine finishes. We’re seeing a move towards warm earthy tones, too, and this reflects the simplicity of quiet luxury, which states that the organic materials are enough, without further decoration. Considered design is also key, and so comfort and functionality are equal to aesthetics in quiet luxury, and just as in the slow living movement, these pieces are made to last a lifetime.
